As you may remember, Jesus had sent his disciples into town to buy food (John 4:8). He uses the shopping trip to teach them. “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored: others have labored, and you have entered into their labors” (John 4:36).
The disciples had given money in exchange for food. They had not planted the vegetables, nor weeded the garden, nor watered the plants. But they enjoyed the fruit of the other people’s labor by giving the money. Even the money they used had been given them by supporters and was not from their own labor (Mt 27:55-56; Luke 8:3).
So it is with bringing someone to Christ. We may be those who plant the seed. We may be those who water the plants. We may be the teacher that weeds out the false teaching. Or we may be the one who is privileged to do the harvesting when someone makes the final commitment to Christ. “…both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” (John 4:36).
